Avoiding Bacteria on Touch Input Buttons
Many people don't like to touch input buttons, that may have harmful bacteria on them, such as, public input control panels. Control panel input buttons, which are touched by multiple users, have the problem of accumulating germs on their surfaces, which are transferred from the users to the buttons. The bacteria on the buttons, may be transferred to the users, when they touch the buttons.
Avoiding finger contact with a touch input button, reduces the contact, and transmission, of possibly harmful pathogens on the button. Reducing or eliminating bacterial transmission, from the buttons to the user, reduces the possibility of the user becoming ill, from bacteria transmitted to the user.
Avoiding Bacteria by Using a Smart Phone
A smart phone can be used to operate devices such as, a smart toilet, or vending machine. The phone frees a user, from needing to touch input buttons, used by multiple users. A drawback is the user needs to hold the phone, in their hand.
Augmented Reality Glasses Used to Operate a Device
Augmented reality glasses, such as, Google glasses, use visual information displayed on the glasses lenses, and viewable by the user. The Google glasses can use voice recognition, to operate a video camera that's part of the glasses. The voice recognition allows the user operate the camera, without needing to touch input buttons. The glasses aren't used to operate devices remotely.
A Proximity Sensor Used to Detect a User's Hand in Mid-Air
Infrared hand sensors are used to operate devices in bathrooms, without touching a surface, such as, water faucets of sinks, toilet flushers, and hand dryers. In Hospitals motion sensing is used to open doors, without a user needing to touch a surface. The sensors have limited input commands, such as, on or off, which restricts the number of different inputs that can be used.
Mid-Air Holographic Input Buttons Used to Operate Devices
MID-AIR holographic input buttons, can be touched in mid-air, and used as input buttons for a device. The buttons can be made by devices, that project on to mid-air water droplets, optical illusion devices, and lasers beam projecting plasma in mid-air. A camera detects when the user touches the button, with their finger. Since there aren't bacteria in mid-air, the finger avoids contacting bacteria when touching the buttons. Though the touch free devices are stationary, and not portable.
Ineffective Ways to Avoid Bacteria
Some people try to wrap paper around their hand, before touching control panel buttons, in an effort to try to put an antibacterial barrier between their hand and the buttons. The paper barrier is ineffective, since bacteria can easily travel through paper.
People may try to use a piece of clothing, such as, a part of a shirt sleeve as a barrier between the buttons, and the hand. The shirt sleeve may act as a barrier; thought bacteria can attach to the user's shirt sleeve.
Disposable rubber gloves may be effective, in using the buttons sanitarily, though it may be inconvenient to carry, and use gloves. Anti-bacterial swipes can be used to eliminate bacteria on buttons, though the discarded wipes produce waste.